Nuneaton Town: 3Stalybridge Celtic: 2

Nuneaton Town: 3Stalybridge Celtic: 2

Celtic's away form dipsBy Six Yard Sam

Celtic were always going to be up against it after going three goals down, but they fought to the end, but couldn?t quite find enough.

Nuneaton started the brighter, with Celtic looking like they were still on the coach. Quailey got a near post free header, and was then instrumental in Nuneaton going a goal up. A long ball left the Celtic defence flat footed and Qualiey through on goal. Pettinger did well to close the distance down, reaching the ball ahead of the Nuneaton striker, but his clearance fell to Chapman near the half way line. The cheeky fullback saw the empty net, thought ?Why not?? and lobbed the ball half the pitch and into the net.

Barlow did some good work down the right, putting a low cross through the box, but Hume?s legs were too short to reach it, and Sykes? shot from outside of the box went wide. However, Celtic were the architects of their own destruction. Keeling, guilty of dwelling on the ball, was robbed in the centre of the park, Denny (on for Collins), the recipient who unleashed a thunderous shot from well outside the box that Pettinger just could not reach.

The second half saw more industry from the visitors, with Barlow getting good contact on a corner, only for Acton to be well placed and catch well. A foul on the edge of the area from Foster saw a worked free kick from Nuneaton, with Derby receiving the ball and blasting towards goal, again Pettinger couldn?t reach the low shot.

Celtic should have been out of it, but continued to plug away, and should have had a penalty when Hume was brought down with a rugby tackle near the six yard box, instead Hume was booked for lashing out at his attacker. Moments later, and Celtic did pull one back, Barlow in the right place for a spilled Maxfield cross from Acton, tapping in from close range. With time running out, Acton was forced into a great save from a Hume header, but there was nothing he could do when Barlow received the ball in the box with his back to goal, and he intelligently pushed it out to Brodie racing in. Brodie applied his trademark finish leaving Acton with no chance.

The goal had come in stoppage time, and there was just not enough time for what would have been a quite remarkable comeback.

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